Governor in Muskegon to help launch wind-turbine business
October 27, 2008
Source: Dave Alexander
Job Title: Muskegon Chronicle
The following article appeared in the Muskegon Chronicle on October 27, 2008:
With Gov. Jennifer Granholm at his side, a forward-thinking West Michigan business leader inaugurated a next-generation
alternative energy business Monday with a small wind turbine that sits atop the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts in
downtown Muskegon.
Granholm touted the Swift Wind Turbine -- developed by Cascade Engineering and President Fred Keller in conjunction with
Renewable Devices of Edinburgh, Scotland -- as one of the alternative energy products produced in Michigan that will become
the state's economic future.
Keller introduced the Swift turbines at national product launch in the Frauenthal Center.
"This is the first celebration of a Michigan-made wind turbine being installed in Michigan," Granholm said in the lobby of the
Frauenthal behind a real-time, flat-panel readout of how the Swift was producing electricity on the theater's roof.
Cascade Engineering is a traditional automotive plastics part company that employs 1,000 people in more than a half-dozen
locations worldwide, including its headquarters on 36th Street in Kentwood. The company has moved into non-automotive
manufacturing sectors including waste disposal and alternative energy.
The Swift turbine operation currently employs 15 people. The North American units are assembled here along with all of the
rotor blades for the units sold worldwide, company officials said.
"The growth of the Swift is unlimited as we scale it up and become more cost-effective," said Michael Ford, head of the
company's renewable energy business unit that hopes to sell up to 2,000 Swift units in 2009. "This is the future of Cascade
Engineering and is a key pillar of our business going forward."
The Swift turbine was installed earlier this year by the Frauenthal's owner, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. The
foundation linked Muskegon philanthropists Lou and Ann Eklund with Cascade Engineering's renewable energy division to bring
about the first commercial installation of the company's Swift Wind Turbine.
"It's all about jobs in the wake of a very challenging time in the auto sector," Granholm said, describing her hopes for the future
of alternative energy manufacturing in a state racked by the continued decline of its traditional Big Three automakers.
Helping the renewable energy sector in Michigan has been recent energy legislation signed by the governor that in part sets a
"renewable portfolio standard" for 10 percent renewable electricity generation in the state by 2015. The state now will allow
homeowners and small business owners generating power in excess of their needs to be paid for putting it on the electrical grid
system, the governor said.
The recent federal market bailout legislation also included extension of federal tax credits for renewable energy devices that
Cascade Engineering will use to help market the 1.5-kilowatt units, which cost about $10,000 depending upon installation. Each
residential unit can receive a $1,000 federal tax credit and a commercial unit can reap $4,000, Cascade officials said.
Cascade is using a worldwide network of commercial installers to sell and set up the units based on the needs of each business
and residence, Ford said. In West Michigan, the units are currently being sold and installed through Bauer Power Inc. of Wayland.
The move toward home- or business-based wind turbines is spurring other manufacturing developments in Muskegon County. A
turbine design by E-Net LLC -- developed out of Grand Valley State University's energy center in Muskegon -- is headed for
production through EarthTronics of Muskegon.
The basic Swift design was developed in Scotland but Cascade redeveloped the circular blades from carbon-fiber material to
injection molded plastic parts. Keller said the circular-blade design quiets the turbine "to a whisper" and the unit is sized to
nearly eliminate the issue of bird kills.
The Swift turbine will generate about 20 percent of the electrical needs of a typical 3,000-square-foot residential home
depending upon the quality of the wind at any specific location, Ford said. At certain times, such as during the wind storm of this
past weekend, Swift units on residential houses might produce more power than would be needed.
That is power that can be sold back to the public utility under a "net metering" provision of the new Michigan energy legislation,
Granholm said. Excess power would run the electrical meter backwards as it puts the energy on the grid, further reducing a
homeowner's or business owner's overall monthly electrical bill.
Muskegon became the premiere demonstration site for the Swift turbine with a grant from the Eklund fund at the community
foundation. The Eklunds -- who have also provided funding for the safety lights along the Muskegon harbor breakwaters -- say
they want to jump-start alternative energy developments in the reemerging Muskegon downtown.
"I am sold on wind energy ... we hope to have more of these installed as time goes on," Eklund said. "We are really well positioned
for wind power here in Muskegon with the benefits of Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake.
"I hope this takes off ... and you make millions," Eklund told Keller and the Cascade Engineering officials.
October 27, 2008
Source: Dave Alexander
Job Title: Muskegon Chronicle
The following article appeared in the Muskegon Chronicle on October 27, 2008:
With Gov. Jennifer Granholm at his side, a forward-thinking West Michigan business leader inaugurated a next-generation
alternative energy business Monday with a small wind turbine that sits atop the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts in
downtown Muskegon.
Granholm touted the Swift Wind Turbine -- developed by Cascade Engineering and President Fred Keller in conjunction with
Renewable Devices of Edinburgh, Scotland -- as one of the alternative energy products produced in Michigan that will become
the state's economic future.
Keller introduced the Swift turbines at national product launch in the Frauenthal Center.
"This is the first celebration of a Michigan-made wind turbine being installed in Michigan," Granholm said in the lobby of the
Frauenthal behind a real-time, flat-panel readout of how the Swift was producing electricity on the theater's roof.
Cascade Engineering is a traditional automotive plastics part company that employs 1,000 people in more than a half-dozen
locations worldwide, including its headquarters on 36th Street in Kentwood. The company has moved into non-automotive
manufacturing sectors including waste disposal and alternative energy.
The Swift turbine operation currently employs 15 people. The North American units are assembled here along with all of the
rotor blades for the units sold worldwide, company officials said.
"The growth of the Swift is unlimited as we scale it up and become more cost-effective," said Michael Ford, head of the
company's renewable energy business unit that hopes to sell up to 2,000 Swift units in 2009. "This is the future of Cascade
Engineering and is a key pillar of our business going forward."
The Swift turbine was installed earlier this year by the Frauenthal's owner, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. The
foundation linked Muskegon philanthropists Lou and Ann Eklund with Cascade Engineering's renewable energy division to bring
about the first commercial installation of the company's Swift Wind Turbine.
"It's all about jobs in the wake of a very challenging time in the auto sector," Granholm said, describing her hopes for the future
of alternative energy manufacturing in a state racked by the continued decline of its traditional Big Three automakers.
Helping the renewable energy sector in Michigan has been recent energy legislation signed by the governor that in part sets a
"renewable portfolio standard" for 10 percent renewable electricity generation in the state by 2015. The state now will allow
homeowners and small business owners generating power in excess of their needs to be paid for putting it on the electrical grid
system, the governor said.
The recent federal market bailout legislation also included extension of federal tax credits for renewable energy devices that
Cascade Engineering will use to help market the 1.5-kilowatt units, which cost about $10,000 depending upon installation. Each
residential unit can receive a $1,000 federal tax credit and a commercial unit can reap $4,000, Cascade officials said.
Cascade is using a worldwide network of commercial installers to sell and set up the units based on the needs of each business
and residence, Ford said. In West Michigan, the units are currently being sold and installed through Bauer Power Inc. of Wayland.
The move toward home- or business-based wind turbines is spurring other manufacturing developments in Muskegon County. A
turbine design by E-Net LLC -- developed out of Grand Valley State University's energy center in Muskegon -- is headed for
production through EarthTronics of Muskegon.
The basic Swift design was developed in Scotland but Cascade redeveloped the circular blades from carbon-fiber material to
injection molded plastic parts. Keller said the circular-blade design quiets the turbine "to a whisper" and the unit is sized to
nearly eliminate the issue of bird kills.
The Swift turbine will generate about 20 percent of the electrical needs of a typical 3,000-square-foot residential home
depending upon the quality of the wind at any specific location, Ford said. At certain times, such as during the wind storm of this
past weekend, Swift units on residential houses might produce more power than would be needed.
That is power that can be sold back to the public utility under a "net metering" provision of the new Michigan energy legislation,
Granholm said. Excess power would run the electrical meter backwards as it puts the energy on the grid, further reducing a
homeowner's or business owner's overall monthly electrical bill.
Muskegon became the premiere demonstration site for the Swift turbine with a grant from the Eklund fund at the community
foundation. The Eklunds -- who have also provided funding for the safety lights along the Muskegon harbor breakwaters -- say
they want to jump-start alternative energy developments in the reemerging Muskegon downtown.
"I am sold on wind energy ... we hope to have more of these installed as time goes on," Eklund said. "We are really well positioned
for wind power here in Muskegon with the benefits of Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake.
"I hope this takes off ... and you make millions," Eklund told Keller and the Cascade Engineering officials.
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